What’s the story, Morning Glory ? Remastered

24th March 2023

A remastered cut of a previous lesson, this one aimed at lower level students.

The full, Director’s Cut, Top Cat edition may be viewed here: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2023/03/20/what-is-the-story-morning-glory-learning-english-with-the-oasis-lads/

Intro: How do you say these words ? By the end of the lesson, with the help of Oasis, you’ll be saying, singing, them like a native English-speaker.

Verse One: In English, we speak very quickly, we combine word sounds and ‘swallow’ other letters. When you hear the song, listen … these words are pronounced like this …

Needa lit’al timeta way cup,

Needa lit’al timeta way cup, way cup

In Standard English, I teach you to pronounce the ‘t’s clearly and precisely, but in natural spoken English, many people ‘swallow’ the sound. Best way, as usual, is to practise.

Verse Two: I will show you a video by the band Oasis.

Oasis were a band of five musicians. They were from Manchester in north England. First, watch this video:

Tell me a story about the video

Who is the main subject ?

Where are they ? What are they doing ?

How do they look ?

How about the other people in the video ?

How do they feel and why ?

What do they do ?

DO NOT START WITH PRONOUNS

Remember to use new, exciting adjectives.

Look at your class notes.

Chorus: Plug in, turn up the amp to 11 and Rock ‘n’ Roll !

Let’s hit the effects pedals and get some wonderful words, amazing adjectives.

First, some nouns:

a group / a band / musicians / neighbours /

guitars / bass / drums / singer

shirt / sunglasses / sari / suit

tower block (apartment building)

Second, some verbs:

playing / singing / dancing / drumming

banging / knocking / kicking / shouting / screaming

Third, some adjectives:

angry / furious / loud / noisy / selfish / cool / crazy / colourful / thoughtless / handsome / ugly / tough / glorious

Time to Rock !

Five handsome, young musicians live in a tower block. They are …

What are they doing, what are they wearing ?

What is the problem ?

Tell me about the neighbours

And don’t forget to sing,

Needa lit’al timeta way cup, way cup

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Thank you, my Top Cats.

5th March 2023

What a fantastic week – two gifts from two gifted students.

First up, an incredible piece of art from Top Cat Ruby who is around ten years old. I shall certainly have this framed.

Next, a gift from a student I no longer teach but whose classroom is near to mine (so they can hear the music I play loudly). Teachers absolutely need throat pastels, and I’m always telling my students to avoid sugar so I was over the moon with this gift from Class Captain Mina.

Thank you Top Cat Ruby, thank you Captain Mina … and not forgetting my irreplaceable TA Ms Huong, and her present:

However, Ms Huong probably gave me these to shut me up ! Regardless, thank you all so much.

Young Learners, Level 4: adverbs of manner

28th February 2023

Take a look at the man in the photo. He is very happy – can you think why ? Maybe he is watching football and his team, Mexico, scored. He is shouting.

How is he shouting ? Happily ? Quietly ? Loudly ?

All words are adverbs of manner – that just means how someone does something.

In our picture the man shouts loudly.

We take the adjective loud and add -ly

Let’s make that into a better sentence.

Are you ready Top Cats ?

I want three adjectives, a verb and then an adverb of manner. Also, give me a reason

Ça va ?

EXAMPLE: The handsome, young, Mexican man is shouting loudly because his team scored a goal.

Lets build a library of adverbs. Take these adjectives and make them adverbs. Be careful with words that end in ‘y’.

beautiful // calm // careful // easy // good // happy // honest // polite // quick

angry // bad // careless // greedy // lazy // loud // nervous // rough // selfish // stupid

dangerous // fast // furious // mysterious // rare // serious // slow

Now … time to create some brilliant sentences

The young lady is from Korea – what is the adjective ? What is she doing, where is she, and how does she feel ? Let’s move on

I don’t think this man is very happy. What do you think ?

To whom is she speaking ? Does she want us to be noisy ? Is the phone call a secret ?

The Japanese band Tricot. They play guitar so …

Do you think riding a motorbike like this is a great idea ? Be careful, Keanu.

If he did this in MY class, what would I do ?

Bye bye – see you next week.

Gods of Ancient Egypt

23rd February 2023

A revised blog, aimed at younger learners. The original blog may be accessed here: https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2022/05/12/young-learners-ancient-egyptian-gods/

An activity where you have to listen, read and collect information. Also you will learn about different cultures and legends.

Today we are going to learn about some of the gods of ancient Egypt. First, where is Egypt ?

Egypt is in Africa. The adjective is Egyptian.

What ancient buildings can you see in Egypt ?

The Pyramids: the largest one was built about 2,500 BC (about 4,500 years ago).

The creature in front is called the Sphinx. What kind of animal is the Sphinx ?

The Sphinx has the face of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird (maybe a falcon or eagle).

Animals were very important. What animals can you see in this picture ?

We are going to focus on four Gods:

Thoth // Bastet // Ra // Anubis

Vocabulary

Pharaoh / ibis / jackal / Nile River / beak

Pyramids

Sphinx

Tomb

Funeral mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. He lived 1341 – 1323 BC

Hieroglyphs

Write your name (English or Viet) using hieroglyphs.

Look at your handout and follow the instructions. You have to identify the four Gods and colour them.

The British Council ‘LearnEnglishKids’ page has some excellent resources and free print-outs.

Now, some music for ambience:

Young Learners, Levels 3 & 4: putting words into practice.

7th February 2023

We learnt some new adjectives before Tet Holiday; now let’s use them. First, what are the words ?

Let’s have some new words, too.

furious // intelligent // genius // calm // peaceful //

Answers

traditional // lucky // fun // funny

delicious // beautiful // colourful

loud // terrible //

Now, time to use the words

At Tet, Daddy sings karaoke. The music is very l____ and t______ and Mummy was f_______ .

At Tet, I visit my grandparents. They gave me l_____ money, and we all had f___ .

Mummy makes a lot of tr________, d________ food.

Many families walk at Tet holiday. The women wear the tr_______ dress called an a__ d____ . The dress is very c_______ and they look b________ .

My uncle comes to visit. He is a doctor, so he is very i___________ . However, he tells jokes and is f______ .

Our class captain is called Lily. She is very i______ so she is a Top Cat. She tells the boys to be quiet when they are l_____ . Lily shouts at t_____ students.

Now … let’s test your grammar.

Change these sentences from present tense (verb 1) to the past tense (verb 2).

EXAMPLE: I (go) to visit my best friend.

I went to visit my best friend.

My family (visit) my grandparents and we (eat) a lot of d_______ food.

My Mummy and my aunts (wear) the tr_______ ao dai. They all (look) so b________ .

Daddy (have) his friends to our house. They (sing) songs for many hours. I (think) it (is) t________ .

Wit my l___ money, I (buy) some c_______ and b_____ flowers for my Mummy. She was so happy, she (cry).

My brother is very in_____________ , he (read) books every day. My sister (play) video games. They had a lot of f___ at Tet.

Last night I (see) a very f____ film, I (laugh) so much. This morning I (go) to school but I (forget) my books. My teacher (is) fu______ .

Top Cats … time for creative writing

Write a short story about your Tet Holiday. Use new adjectives and the past tense (Verb 2).

At Tet I …

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Young Learners: tell me about Tet

16th January 2023

Today you will need pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks and paper.

You are going to tell me about Tet Holiday.

I want to know what you do that is special, what you eat and what you wear.

Do you like Tet ? Explain why … or why not !

First, we need a vocabulary bank. Here are a list of adjectives you should try to use.

Write these words in your notebook next to the meaning in Vietnamese

traditional // lucky // fun // funny

delicious // beautiful // colourful

loud // terrible //

What is happening here ?

What is in the red envelope ?

Tell me about the food.

What are the ladies doing ?

What are the men doing ?

Write and draw about Tet Holiday.

At Tet I … (my family) …

I eat …

I see …

If I have lucky money, I will buy …

My family go to …

My Mummy …

My Daddy …

I like (don’t like) Tet Holiday because …

Young Learners: Time Travellers

9th January 2023

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, “The Battle Between Carnival and Lent,” 1559 Kunsthistorisches Museum

Today we travel back in time to see how people lived 400 or 500 years ago. What was different ? What games did children play ?

First, we need a modern avatar. Team captains can choose from the following:

FBI Agent, Dale Cooper // Black Panther // Mulan

James Bond 007 // Reva // Lady Penelope

Sinbad the Sailor // The Minotaur

LEVEL 1

What do we have now that children did not have in the 1500s ? I want 3 things.

LEVEL UP: score 50 points

LEVEL 2

Tell me what you see in this picture. Remember to use adjectives.

Start with, “I can see …

LEVEL UP: score 100 points

LEVEL 3

The paintings are by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Read about his life:

Pieter Bruegel was born in Holland in 1529.

In the 1550s, he lived in Italy to study art. Bruegel liked to paint landscapes, and life in villages.

Many of his pictures tell a story. He had two sons who became painters. Their names were Jan and Pieter.

Bruegel died in 1569 in Belgium.

Questions:

Where was Bruegel born ?

When was Bruegel born ?

What country did he visit in the 1550s ?

What did he like to paint ?

When and where did he die ?

What were the names of his two painter sons ?

LEVEL UP: score 200 points

LEVEL 4

Many of Bruegel’s painting are in the Art Museum in Vienna, Austria. Have a look at this virtual tour: https://www.khm.at/en/explore/digital-museum/bruegel-begegnen-en/#:~:text=Only%20in%20Vienna&text=The%20Kunsthistorisches%20Museum%20Vienna%20houses,course%2C%20The%20Tower%20of%20Babel.

Look at the first picture at the top of this page.

Can you see it on the virtual tour ?

Look at the picture of the boys playing.

What is the name of this painting ?

Can you find this part of the painting ?

What other games can you see ?

LEVEL UP: score 500 points

LEVEL 5

Look at the painting ‘Children’s Games’ from 1560. In your teams, write a short story about what you see. Some people can draw, others can write. When you are finished, you may present to the class.

LEVEL UP: score 1000 points

GREAT WORK

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE

Enter the Matrix: Young learners, levels 2 – 4

6th December 2022

The mission is to use all your English skills to find Neo, meet Morpheus, learn English, beat Mr Smith and save Morpheus, then come back to the classroom safely.

First, we need two teams RED & BLUE. Next we need to find Neo and his friends.

Task 1 describe these people. Use lots of adjectives.

Task 2 You will need grammar to enter the Matrix. Conjugate these sentences. All team members must speak.

I like to eat oranges

I don’t want to do homework

I have a new laptop

Task 3 Time to meet Morpheus. Tell me about his house.

Next tell me about three favourite things in your house and why you like them.

EXAMPLE: I love my sofa because I can watch TV and play games on it. Also I can sit or sleep because it is very comfortable.

Task 4 Now it’s time to fight Agent Smith. He knows so many words … can you beat him ?

Write down 7 colours

Write down 10 animals

Write down 5 healthy food items

Tell me your favourite sport and why

EXAMPLE: I really love football because it is exciting and fun.

TASK 5 At the board correct these sentences:

I very loves to going fish

You is goes to homes

Hes having a coat red

Seh don’t liking to red boooks

It are rain twoday

Neo are a hundsame men

We is happy wen we win the games

They is drink any milk

Task 6 You can rescue Morpheus if you can tell me about your home.

How many rooms do you have ?

What do you have in the rooms ?

What are the colours ?

What is your favourite room and why ?

Task 7 Time to return to the class. Choose the best actor in your team; they have to say this:

“Unfortunately no one can be told what the matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.”

(The clip starts at 1:00 – 1:13)

Now you have entered the Matrix. Keep learning English or Agent Smith will chase you.

Young Learners, level 2: Basic Simple Past exercises

26th October 2022

A chance to review the simple past (verb 2).

I expect all students to be able to use the past tense by the end of the seminar.

infinite / present (verb 1) / past (verb 2)

1 to be am / was [I am / I was]

are / were [they are / they were]

2 to have have / had

3 to do do / did

4 to say say / said

5 to go go / went

6 to get get / got

7 to make make / made

8 to know know /knew

9 to think think / thought

10 to take take / took

11 to see see / saw

12 to come come / came

13 to want want / wanted

14 to use use / used

15 to find find / found

Past Tense Exercise

1. You (have) a test yesterday.

You had a test yesterday.

2. They (do) their homework last night.

They ——- their homework last night.

3. You (are) lazy last week.

You ——- lazy last week.

4. I (am) hungry yesterday.

I ——- hungry yesterday.

5. Sam (go) to Hong Kong last year.

Sam ——- to Hong Kong last year.

6. The man (make) tables and chairs yesterday.

The man —— tables and chairs yesterday.

7. Two weeks ago the boy (has) a new bicycle.

Two weeks ago the boy ——- a new bicycle.

8. In London I (know) many people.

In London I _______ many people.

9. I (get) 10 points in my English test.

I ______ 10 points in my English test.

10. I (want) to see a great film.

I _______ to see a great film.

Extra work for Top Cats

Corrections: Write in the past tense

I (am) born in Vietnam and (arrive) in Sai Gon in 2020. I (go) to school in District 1 because I (want) to work near my home. Last week, my friend (have) a party. She (dance) all night and I (hear) her singing. In the morning, she (have) a headache.

Young learners, level 6: Adjectives and grammar review

5th July 2022

First, let’s build a word bank of incredible, useful and unusual adjectives:

amazing / beautiful / Chinese / colourful / cute / dangerous / difficult / energetic / English / famous / fantastic / generous / greedy / great / hard-working / healthy / intelligent / interesting / Japanese / kind / lazy / loud / messy / naughty / nervous / outgoing / popular / quick / quiet / rich / rude / selfish / talkative / top cat / unhealthy / unusual / valuable / wealthy /

Game 1 – say are these adjectives positive (good) or negative (bad) or neutral (neither good nor bad)

Game 2 – make sentences using present continuous and two adjectives

EXAMPLE: She is reading a heavy, interesting book.